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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23142904">Apple Pie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/grelleswife/pseuds/grelleswife'>grelleswife</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ciel's name is Astre in this fic, Fluff, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship, Picnics, Pie, and he is a few years younger, heavily influenced by The Girl from the Other Side, soft things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:41:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23142904</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/grelleswife/pseuds/grelleswife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The cursed one Sebastian and his ward Astre enjoy a picnic together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sebastian Michaelis &amp; Ciel Phantomhive</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Apple Pie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/1hellofacookie/gifts">1hellofacookie</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the Kuroshitsuji Koup de foudre White Day fandom event</p>
<p>This oneshot is set in the same AU as my fic The Little Lost Star, an AU that is heavily influenced by Nagabe's manga The Girl from the Other Side (Totsukuni no Shoujo). Ciel's name is Astre here, and he's a bit younger (around 5). Like Teacher, Sebastian is a cursed one who guards his tiny human after the child is abandoned by his family. Sebastian's cursed one form is a bit like his demonic form in Book of Atlantic (all black, fangs, sharp claws), though he also has a tail, horns, and six wings. In this AU, as in the manga, a human touched by a cursed one is doomed to become a monster themselves.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Weeeee’re goin’ on a picnic, a picnic, a picnic!” Astre sang, skipping blithely towards the oak tree that towered over the wildflowers like a grizzled, stately king. He stretched out his little arms to either side like wings, and Sebastian was half-convinced the wind would sweep him aloft to soar with the bluebirds. The cursed one followed behind at a more measured pace, carrying a wicker basket slung over one arm. His crimson eyes scanned the surrounding area for signs of his fellows. Even on balmy, golden days such as this one, shadows lurked at the edges of the Outside, nibbling away at their security like a rat devouring cheese in the larder. The perennial threat of other cursed ones attempting to seize Astre with their befouled hands tainted Sebastian’s happiness with the same indelible darkness that had twisted his own body into something monstrous.  </p>
<p>Then Astre’s clear, sweet voice cut through his melancholy ruminations like a lantern illuminating a moor shrouded in fog. “This tree is HUGE, Sebastian! I don’t think I’ve <em>ever</em> seen a tree this big. <em>Ever</em>!” He hopped about among the oak’s roots, a silvery bird singing gaily, with no trace of sorrow or fear on his unlined, innocent face. Sebastian smiled, and he allowed Astre’s high spirits to buoy his heart upwards.</p>
<p>“It must be quite old,” he explained to the child as he got on his knees. Setting down the basket, Sebastian pulled out a white linen bedsheet and spread it over the grass for them to sit upon.</p>
<p>“Ooooh…so trees get bigger when they get older? Like kids do?”</p>
<p>“It’s a similar principle, yes, though trees never stop growing. If we chopped this one down and looked at its trunk, we’d see dozens of rings spreading out like the ripples that you make when you skip stones across the lake.” Whenever Sebastian gave his permission (and even a few times when he hadn’t), Astre seized opportunities to explore the area around their house, including the indigo lake in the woods surrounding their village. The boy sent carefully-crafted paper boats sailing over its still waters, and Sebastian had taught him how to skip rocks upon it. With his deft wrist and light touch, the boy had proven himself a natural.</p>
<p>Blue eyes widened in awe. “Woooow! That’s amazin’! But we shouldn’t cut this one down. It’s a nice tree!” Astre protectively placed a dimpled hand on the rough bark behind him.</p>
<p>Sebastian chuckled, wings flapping gently. “Fret not, young Astre. I would never harm such a magnificent oak. Now, let’s get you some lunch.”</p>
<p>“Yay! I’m <em>starving</em>.” Astre clutched his tummy and stuck out his bottom lip, trying to show his guardian the hunger pangs gnawing at him.</p>
<p>Sebastian presented him with a large ham sandwich and a generous slice of apple pie on a china plate. Although his initial attempts had been burned to a crisp, the cursed one had finally mastered the art of pie-baking (at least, he hoped so, though it was difficult to tell with a tongue incapable of perceiving flavor). He carefully placed it on Astre’s lap, taking his usual precautions to avoid physical contact.</p>
<p>Astre’s eyes lit up. “Yummy! We have <em>meat</em> today?!”</p>
<p>“It’s for special occasions, and surely a picnic counts.” In a recent expedition to one of the neighboring abandoned villages (their human inhabitants long since dead or transformed into cursed ones), Sebastian had found a small supply of cured meats, which he had promptly taken home with him. Growing boys like Astre required more substantial fare than milk and honey.</p>
<p>Astre scarfed down his food with glee. If the contented noises he made were any indication, Sebastian’s food was to his liking. A satisfied smile graced the cursed one’s lips, and he leaned against the sturdy tree to watch Astre enjoy his repast.</p>
<p>Astre picked up the small wooden spoon Sebastian had provided for his pie. Before taking a bite, however, he glanced up in concern.</p>
<p>“Don’t you want some too, Sebastian? It’s kinda mean to eat it all by myself.”</p>
<p>Something sharp and bittersweet pierced his chest.</p>
<p>“Remember that cursed ones don’t need to eat, child. If I tried, it would merely taste of dust and ash.” Sebastian had explained this all before, but children’s memories could be short.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah.” Astre drooped like a wilted flower.</p>
<p>“Is something the matter?” Sebastian asked anxiously.</p>
<p>“It’s…it’s just not <em>fair</em>. Papa’s friend Diedrich says that eating is one of life’s great pleasures. But it can’t make <em>you</em> happy anymore…and that makes me sad.” Tearful sapphire eyes blinked up at him. “I wanna share my pie with you coz you’re nice and you worry too much and you always take care of me.”</p>
<p>Sebastian’s hand flew to his chest as the thorns of this strange emotion pierced him with a vengeance. His fingers gripped the white shirt he wore for dear life, and the cursed one cleared his throat, which had grown clogged. He wasn’t sure how that had happened.</p>
<p>“Well, you’ll…you’ll have to enjoy it for both of us. Seeing <em>you</em> happy makes <em>me</em> just as happy, young Astre.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Those limpid blue eyes shown like twin stars.</p>
<p>“Really.” Sebastian’s hand twitched, wanting to reach out and give his head a reassuring pat. What a futile wish. Touch was the one language that humans and cursed ones could not share. The longing to comfort the child refused to leave him, however, just as a flower’s scent lingers on its petals after it is plucked.</p>
<p>Astre’s winsome smile returned in full force. “Okay!” He tucked in with gusto, stretching his childish vocabulary to its limits as he gave Sebastian a running account of just <em>how</em> delicious the pie was.</p>
<p>“Now, you mustn’t speak with your mouth full, young Astre,” Sebastian softly chided. He would gladly forgo apple pie. Sebastian must have sampled the dish when he was human, but not a wisp of memory remained. He was confident, however, that Astre’s simple kindness was far sweeter.</p>
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